Picture Book Look

By Monica Brown and illustrated by Sara Palacios. Published by Lee & Low Books.

Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match (translations in Spanish) Marisol McDonald no combina, is an encouraging and empowering book for children who just don’t match. Match what? You might ask. Match anything, I would answer.

Marisol’s cousin tells her her hair color (orange) doesn’t go with the color of her skin (brown). Her brother tells her the clothes she has picked to wear (polka dots and stripes) don’t match. The teacher at school tells Marisol she can’t combine cursive and print when writing her name. Yes, everyone is quick to squash Marisol’s individuality, and soon she decides it’s time to match everyone’s expectations. But things don’t go so well. Her food is all mushy, playground games aren’t any fun and even art class is boring! Marisol comes to realize it’s okay to be herself. . .even if that means being different.

I wish there had been books like this when I was a child growing up in the 60’s and 70’s, because since the age of eight, I haven’t matched anyone either. And like Marisol, I had experiences where people pointed out my differences too. . .And there are children today who don’t match either and they need books like this to tell them it’s okay to be different!

Monica Brown wrote Marisol Doesn’t Match because she is multiracial and has also been told that she “doesn’t match.” But like Marisol, she knows better. Sara Palacios did the artwork for the book and it’s very creative. I especially love the way she used mixed media to illustrate the story. The book earned a Pura Belpre Illustrator Honor Award for Ms. Palacios’s work, and a place on the Children’s Notable List, 2012.